June 1896.] 



FOREIGN OFFICE REPORTS. 



67 



Not only have the low prices which have ranged in Germany 

 and other countries during the last few years diminished the 

 export of Polish wool, but German and Hungarian wools have 

 actually, as stated authoritatively, been imported into Poland in 

 large quantities for the Polish cloth mills. 



It seems that the annual Wool Fair which was held at Warsaw 

 from the 15 th to the 18th of June last, opened with a stock of 

 1,116 cwts. over from the previous year, to which were added 

 23,454 cwts. brought from the country during the Fair, being 

 4,108 cwts. more than in 1894. The remarkable feature of the 

 Fair was that not a single parcel of extra-fine or fine was sold. 

 The sales were limited to " medium -fine," the price of which 

 ranged from 61. 5s. 9d. to SL 8s. 4td. per cwt., and " medium " 

 which fetched from 51. 8s. 4>d. to 61. 15s. 5d. per cwt. Last year 

 there were no sales of " medium-fine," and " medium " sold at 

 from 61. 10s. 4d. to 71. 7s. 7d. 



The condition of the Polish landowners and farmers is said to 

 be most critical, and, it is feared, that unless a rise in the price 

 of cereals takes place soon, the effect of the present depression 

 may be disastrous, as the revenue from land generally has 

 diminished over 50 per cent. 



The substitution of a government spirit monopoly for the 

 existing " Propinacya " (the landlord's monopoly), which is 

 imminent, will further reduce the income of the landed proprie- 

 tors. The only question now is whether the Government will 

 give them an indemnity, and if so, how much. The general 

 opinion is that no compensation will be given for the " Propin- 

 acya " in the country districts, but that something will be done 

 for the landlords whose right of sale extends to the towns. 



Mr. Grant says that it will be interesting to see whether any 

 compensation will be given to the " Communes " to whom the 

 " Propinacya " which existed on the lands handed over to the 

 peasants in 1864, was transferred by the famous Ukase of that 

 year. As, however, the Government will retain it in its own 

 hands for another 11 years, for the payment of the liquidation 

 bonds given to the landlords, the question will probably be 

 waived for the present. 



[Foreign Office Report, Annual Series, iVo. 1675. Price Id.] 



Margarine Trade of Holland. 



In the annual report on the trade of Amsterdam for 1895, by 

 Mr. W. C. Robinson, H.M. Consul at that port, it is stated that 

 the years of prosperity for the producers of margarine appear to 

 have passed away for the present, partly in consequence of the 

 difficulties placed by most countries in the way of the sale of 

 artificial butter or surrogates, and partly owing to the very 

 greatly increased importation of Australian butter into Great 



E 2 



